A Mirror That Longs To Return - Chapter 6

“I wonder where Xuanji ran off to.” After driving Xu Zhiyan away with a single sentence, Lüqi leaned against a pillar and drifted into thought, muttering to herself, “She should be back today, shouldn’t she?”

“If she were here, why would Her Highness need protection from a Jinyiwei officer? Much less such a ridiculous excuse.”

The ridiculous excuse was, naturally, menstruation.

Lüqi had deliberately spoken loudly enough for Xu Zhiyan to hear—and also to put He Jingling at ease.

He Jingling had been uneasy at first, but after hearing Yan Changjun instruct Lüqi as she entered, most of her anxiety immediately faded.

Good. She really had gotten her period.

Good.

At first, He Jingling had been confident. After all, the female lead had never touched any of the male supporting characters in the original novel.

But just now, when they got out of the carriage, Yan Changjun had asked He Jingling to carry her down.

That had genuinely been shocking.

As a result, He Jingling could not help reassessing both this woman and the plot.

What if Yan Changjun truly came up with some new idea?

Perhaps her period was merely an excuse.

There was no knowing whether it was real or false, or whether it was only a pretext.

After closing the door, Yan Changjun walked straight to the dressing table and began removing her hairpins and ornaments on her own.

He Jingling stood there trembling with caution.

The bedchamber was spacious. There were grand armchairs, round-backed chairs, benches, and stools everywhere, but since Yan Changjun had not told her to sit, she did not dare move.

She looked around.

At a glance, she could see several bookshelves, all filled with books arranged in neat, orderly rows.

There was also a writing desk with paperweights on top and several solid-wood brush holders containing wolf-hair and goat-hair brushes.

Near the window, beside the bamboo, stood a long sandalwood table with an ancient zither resting upon it.

Since Yan Changjun was the powerful female lead, she was naturally proficient in all four scholarly arts: the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Not only that, she was also skilled at embroidery.

All of this had been explicitly recorded in the original novel.

He Jingling suddenly remembered the slight movement in Yan Changjun’s eyes when she had mentioned her mother in the carriage earlier.

Yan Changjun slowly removed her hair ornaments and washed her face. Then she turned around, looked about, and found no one—until her gaze moved toward the doorway and discovered He Jingling still standing there stiffly.

Just as she had in the carriage.

Now, He Jingling stood tall and graceful, her waist badge and sword hanging from her belt as obediently as the expression on her face.

Yan Changjun fixed her gaze on her and spoke in a quiet voice.

“Lord He sits in cramped places, yet stands in spacious ones?”

He Jingling met Yan Changjun’s eyes.

“Your Highness, please forgive me. First, Your Highness gave me no instructions, so naturally I did not dare act without permission.”

Yan Changjun’s brows shifted faintly. She laughed softly.

“In that case, it seems I am the one at fault. Tell me the second reason.”

She did not press He Jingling too deeply over her answer.

He Jingling suddenly frowned, appearing to struggle for a while before speaking.

“When I entered just now, I heard the Prince Consort speaking rather loudly. I imagine I must have displeased him.”

Yan Changjun raised an eyebrow, scrutiny entering her eyes.

“And what if he is displeased?”

“If the Prince Consort is unhappy, then it must be my fault. I failed to consider matters carefully before sharing a carriage with Your Highness…” He Jingling spoke with complete sincerity, looking both aggrieved and understanding. “If I have harmed the relationship between Your Highness and the Prince Consort, I fear I will feel guilty for the rest of my life.”

A strange sensation suddenly spread through Yan Changjun’s heart.

Her nostrils moved slightly as she asked indifferently, “Since Lord He knew it might harm the relationship between me and the Prince Consort, why did you share my carriage?”

A cold gleam flashed through her phoenix eyes, sweeping away the weariness she had displayed at the banquet.

He Jingling had prepared for this.

“At the time, this subject was only concerned for Your Highness’s safety. As long as Your Highness remains unharmed, this subject would not hesitate even if it meant dying ten thousand deaths or crossing mountains of blades and seas of fire.”

At this point, she paused, then added resolutely, “This subject will go apologize to the Prince Consort right now.”

There had naturally been no need to worry about Yan Changjun’s safety.

This palace coup would not cause any real damage. After investigating, the emperor would ultimately arrest only a few insignificant underlings as scapegoats.

At He Jingling’s words, Yan Changjun looked her over again.

Her gaze swept past the Xiuchun blade and finally settled on the waist badge.

No wonder she refused to put her things down.

So restrained, yet she still wanted to go outside and apologize?

“That will not be necessary.” Yan Changjun lifted her skirts and rose, then turned toward a bookshelf. “Remove the things at your waist. There is no need to be so restrained. You even brought a blade inside… Come here.”

With her back turned to Yan Changjun, He Jingling finally released another breath of relief.

Brother Cannon Fodder, whether Pei Jin infuriates you or I do, it makes no difference.

After receiving the order, He Jingling removed her Xiuchun blade with swift, practiced movements.

However, when her fingers brushed over the waist badge, they paused slightly.

Should she remove it or not?

She needed the badge while on duty.

But then again, tonight she had only ever been a tool for provoking jealousy. This matter of romantic rivalry was not truly her place.

In a word, she was not yet qualified to know.

Yan Changjun soon returned to the carved rosewood round-backed chair. Resting her chin in one hand, she breathed in the pleasant incense filling the room and slowly said, “Lord He may read whatever you like.”

“This subject obeys.”

He Jingling answered obediently and opened the book.

It turned out to be the Book of Songs.

Her clear, mellow voice was vivid and pleasant, each syllable falling like jade marrow lightly striking stone—soothing and beautiful to hear.

“…When a man becomes infatuated, he may still free himself. When a woman becomes infatuated, she cannot free herself.”

Upon reaching this line, He Jingling paused.

The moment she lifted her eyes, she met a pair of eyes gleaming coldly.

Yan Changjun looked thoughtful.

“Lord He has been skipping passages. You began with the Airs of Bei, and the farther you read, the more you skip.”

He Jingling hesitated, then answered sincerely, “This subject wished to finish sooner. After all, the night is already deep. Your Highness’s precious person should not be worn down like this.”

Yan Changjun fell silent for a breath, the confusion in her eyes deepening.

“In that case, Lord He wishes to rest?”

He Jingling genuinely felt as though she had choked.

As expected, this female lead was no ordinary person.

She hurriedly said, “That is not what I meant. This subject is off duty tomorrow, and I also frequently stand night watch.”

I was only expressing concern for Your Highness!

Yan Changjun nodded again, her gaze drifting toward the waist badge.

How convenient that tomorrow happened to be her day off.

Yan Changjun still understood the basics of how the Jinyiwei operated.

Was she leaving it here to use as an excuse later?

Yan Changjun sneered silently.

Weariness once more entered her eyes. She rose and said, “Lord He has reminded me that it is indeed quite late. Considering Lord He’s loyal and sincere devotion, and how I relied upon your protection tonight…”

She deliberately glanced at He Jingling.

Yet He Jingling’s response remained perfectly ordinary.

Yan Changjun continued, “Lord He may rest in the side chamber tonight. There is a bed there.”

“Your Highness, I’m afraid that would be improper.”

He Jingling refused immediately.

Yan Changjun frowned.

“What is improper about it?”

In the past, whenever she summoned people, she had never allowed them onto a bed. If they were meant to stand, they stood; if they were meant to sit, they sat.

“Your Highness is a member of the imperial family, and you also have a Prince Consort…” He Jingling hesitated repeatedly. “This subject still needs to apologize to him. What if he misunderstands?”

Her gaze was perfectly clear, conveying the unmistakable message:

I truly do not wish to destroy your family.

“This subject can naturally protect Your Highness, but I would not dare offend by using your bed.”

The lanternlight shimmered in Yan Changjun’s eyes as the corner of her lips curved upward.

She stared quietly at He Jingling and slowly shattered her fantasy, enunciating every word.

“In that case, Lord He may sit here until dawn.”

He Jingling: “?”

As expected of her.

The self-sacrificing act had not worked in the slightest.

Still, He Jingling had already prepared herself.

She had only intended to make herself memorable today, and everything since then had been a matter of taking one step at a time.

Entering the princess’s bedchamber was already astonishing enough.

As for anything beyond that, she should not indulge in fantasies yet.

Preserving her life came first.

The conclusion she had reached during her investigation last year continued to circle through her mind:

All those nameless cannon-fodder men had died only a few days after entering the Princess Manor.

Their corpses had been abandoned in the wilderness, each death stranger than the last.

Yan Changjun was a bad woman who tired of someone after a single taste and then silenced them permanently.

The palace lanterns remained lit as gauzy silk curtains hung low.

Eventually, He Jingling could no longer keep her eyelids from fighting.

She later went to the side chamber after all.

But after staring at the bed for a long time as though it were staring back at her, she still did not dare lie down.

She had said she would not dare offend, so she truly would not dare offend!

In the end, she simply fell asleep with her head resting on the table, failing even to notice the shifting candlelight passing over her eyes.

Yan Changjun stood holding a candle lamp, her gaze gradually becoming quiet and remote.

Then she turned and walked back to her own room.

“Your Highness, this subordinate encountered some trouble on the road and therefore returned late.”

A rustling sound came from outside the window as a dark figure appeared.

“Mm.”

Yan Changjun responded and handed over a note.

“Investigate this person.”

Xuanji took it and spoke by the dim candlelight.

“This person is a chiliarch of the Southern Pacification Office. She was promoted because of her elder sister.”

“Her elder sister?” Yan Changjun considered this for a moment.

“Yes. Does Your Highness still remember Consort Yi?”

Clarity finally entered Yan Changjun’s eyes.

“So that is how it is. People say she is honest, and she truly is. Since I did not ask, she simply said nothing… Investigate further.”

He Jingling had not mentioned this matter in the carriage today.

She truly had ulterior motives.

Yan Changjun narrowed her eyes and looked toward the full moon in the sky.

It was time for her to sleep as well.

When Yan Changjun awoke the following morning, she was not at all surprised to find He Jingling gone.

According to the maidservants, He Jingling had left early in the morning.

Yan Changjun did not particularly care, though a faint expectation lingered somewhere in her heart.

Then, while clearing the things from the table, she discovered the gilded silver waist badge.

That expectation immediately solidified into certainty.

Heh.

She had seen this sort of trick countless times before.

As expected, He Jingling had left it behind for later use.

Yan Changjun gave a cold scoff and reached out to pick up the badge, which was engraved with clouds, dragons, and fierce tigers.

Badge Number Three Hundred and Twenty-Eight.
He Jingling.
Chiliarch of the Southern Pacification Office.

The workmanship was certainly exquisite.

Unfortunately, its owner had “accidentally” left it here.

Who knew how long she intended to wait before returning to retrieve it?

Yan Changjun rose and walked toward a cabinet. She had just pulled open one drawer when a crisp voice came from the doorway.

“Your Highness, Lord He has a request.”

Yan Changjun frowned and asked in confusion, “What does she want?”

“Lord He says her waist badge was left at the Princess Manor. If she cannot find it, she will be unable to report for duty…”

Yan Changjun’s pale fingers suddenly tightened around the badge.

“…Then give it back to her.”

She did not care for it.